Montepulciano
Pronunciation: Mohn-tay-puhl-chee-AH-nohWhere it's Grown:Montepulciano is most at home in the regions of Marches and Abruzzo on the Adriatic Coast of Italy (East Coast). Both of these regions are warm in the summer but the Marches is subject to cold winds from the Balkans. These winds have caused a focus on white wines except for Montepulciano. The terrain runs from steep, almost mountainous outcrops to fairly flat plains and so there are both mechanized vineyards and those that are challenging to work.
Appellations featuring this grape that are found in our market are Rosso Conero, Esino, and, of course, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Rosso Conero is now a world class red wine with designs on competing against the best and brightest of Central Italy. In style it is as bold and Riserva level Chianti or even Brunello but has a black fruit base instead of the red fruits of Sangiovese. Esino and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo are more variable in their level of quality. These two regions are filled with a myriad of producers, each with their own quality goals. In general the quality of Montepulciano will be reflected in the price you pay as they range from $7 to $75 per bottle.
What to expect: The fruit range of Montepulciano is red cherry to blackberry and even blueberry creeps in occasionally. You will normally find an aroma of purple flowers or roses and the essence of Mediterranean herbs. The higher priced wines will feature the flavors of oak aging and therefore add baking spices and vanilla characters. The weight of the wines varies from moderate bodied, simple drinking wines to full bodied wines in need of age at the other end. Price is some gauge of the weight as they corrolate fairly closely.
